Jump to Content

Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Finding Aid for the Willard S. Morse Collection of Material About Bret Harte, 1850-1935
1019  
View entire collection guide What's This?
Search this collection
Collection Overview
 
Table of contents What's This?
Description
Willard S. Morse (1856-1935) was a mining executive in the West and Mexico. He was later made a director and member of the executive committee of the American Smelter Securities Company, Chilean Exploration Company, and Braden Copper Company. After retiring, Morse devoted much of his time to the collection of Americana. The collection consists of extracts of writings by Harte from periodicals, newspaper clippings by and about Harte, original photographs of Harte, two books, dealer catalogs, related correspondence with Morse, and a collection of clippings relating to the Pony Express, 1904-35.
Background
Morse was born on June 12, 1856 in Ware, Massachusetts; at age 15 he began an apprenticeship in a machine shop in Taunton; moved to the West, where he first worked as a clerk in the Denver post office, and then in the office of the Consolidated Virginia mine at Virginia City, Nevada; later became a mining executive in the West and Mexico; moved to New York City in 1906, where he was made a director and member of the executive committee of the American Smelter Securities Company, Chilean Exploration Company, and Braden Copper Company; withdrew from active business in 1919, serving in an advisory capacity until 1922; wrote many articles for technical society publications; devoted much of his retirement to the collection of Americana; published works include Howard Pyle: a record of his illustrations and writings (comp. with Gertrude Brinklé, 1921) and Francis Bret Harte first editions and manuscripts: the Willard S. Morse collection (1939?); he died on October 4, 1935 in Santa Monica, California.
Extent
12 boxes (6 linear ft.) 1 oversize box
Restrictions
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Availability
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Advance notice required for access.